FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does “chocolate” mean?
Which ION products are appropriate for those avoiding gluten? This section answers many of your sweetest questions.

about ION

Where does the word ION come from?

The name of the company carries a scent of sweet violet, since ion "to evosmon" is the Ancient Greek word for Viola Odorata, the sweet violet.

Why is it that the barcode in most ION products does not begin with the digits of the Greek barcode organisation?

Barcodes do not state the country of production for each product. The information contained in this code serves purely commercial purposes and mostly concerns the distribution and sale of products.

The reason that ION products have a different barcode than other Greek products is because ION began codification in the 1980s, at a time when Greece didn’t have a barcode organisation. Consequently, the barcode system was implemented by the corresponding barcode organisation of the United Kingdom.

ION is currently the only company in Greece that owns the entire production process, from the cocoa seed to the end product, meaning that all cocoa beans imported in Greece are imported for use by ION. This way, we can fully control the distinctive quality and taste of our products.

Can I have the screening rights for older commercial spots of ION?

All screening rights for commercial films belong to the companies that produced such films, and the advertisers pay a license right whose cost depends on the country, the screening time and the medium for screening (television, internet, movie theatre, etc.). Due to this, ION does not own any such rights; therefore we are unable to either allow or forbid the use of our commercial films.

about ION products and nutritional characteristics

Which ION products are suitable for the Lenten period?

The products in ION’s line of dark chocolates (Ygeias), either plain or with dried nuts, are suitable for Lent, because they contain no milk or any other animal ingredient. The dark chocolate Chokofreta (Chokofreta Ygeias) is also suitable, as is the entire Dark line – with the exception of ION Dark with almonds and salty caramel.

Which ION products are gluten-free?

Wafers and chocolates with waffle or biscuit (e.g. Join Biscuit or Waffle) contain gluten. All other ION products do not contain any wheat protein (gluten).

Nevertheless, since the same production plant also uses wheat flour, it is mandatory for all products to bear the food notification that says “may contain traces of wheat protein” to alert to the risk of cross-contamination.

The only ION products not featuring this specific food notification are ION Kakao, truffle and all chocolates with stevia (with no added sugar), due to the fact that these products are manufactured in a different plant. In addition, we have recently introduced the new gluten-free Chokofreta to the market.

What are the benefits of chocolate?

Other than sweetness and wellbeing, chocolate also brings many more benefits for the human body because some of its ingredients are veritable nutritional gems.Antioxidant action: Chocolate contains antioxidant agents that prevent oxidisation of chocolate fat and also have beneficial effects for the human body.“Good” fat: Chocolate contains fat from cocoa butter, a fatty acid with a particular synthesis that makes it one of a kind. With a content of 35% stearic acid and 65% oleic acid – two neutral acids in the case of cholesterol – cocoa butter does not have a negative effect on the parameters of metabolism and cholesterol. Besides, chocolate fat contains alpha-Tocopherol, the most active form of Vitamin E.Source of copper: Did you know that chocolate is a basic source of nutritional copper? According to research in the United States, dark chocolate and sugar candy cover the average daily intake of copper for the human body.

about chocolate

Where does the word “chocolate” come from?

The truth is that the history of the word takes us on a journey far back in time, somewhere in Central America. From an etymological perspective, the word chocolate appears to derive from the Aztec word xocoatl, a synthesis of the words xoco (bitter) and atl (water); naturally, it was a reference to the bitter beverage the Aztecs brewed from the fruits of the cocoa tree since 1000 A.D. Other sources cite the Mayans as those who originally created and used the word, even before the Aztecs, since they had discovered the beneficial qualities and the particular taste of the fruits of the tall and thin tree since 200 B.C. If we go even further back, to around 1900 B.C., there are findings from the age of the Olmecs, who were apparently enjoying a cocoa brew in special cylindrical vessels.

What is the scientific name of cocoa?

In the 18th century, the botanist Linnaeus gave the cocoa tree the scientific name of Theobroma cacao. What is the origin of this strange-sounding name? According to linguists who managed to recreate the language of the ancient civilisation of the Olmecs, the word “cocoa” already existed in their vocabulary. As to the genus Theobroma, the roots of the word are Greek, and its meaning is “food of the gods” (Theon Vrosi).

Which is the No. 1 continent in the worldwide production of cocoa?

Today, Africa produces the largest quantity of cocoa, which is almost double than the quantity produced in the American continent. The leading countries in cocoa production are Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroun, as well as Indonesia.

What is the melting temperature of chocolate?

Guess what… Chocolate melts at a temperature slightly lower than the temperature of the human body. So, when we say that chocolate melts in the mouth, we are being literal! And, perhaps, this is one of the qualities of chocolate that makes us… melt with desire for it!

Which country’s residents consume the largest quantity of chocolate?

And the winner is… Switzerland! This shouldn’t really come as a surprise, though: Chocolate production is historically linked with this country – it’s where chocolate-making was developed in the 19th century. To make a point, in 2015, the average consumption of chocolate in Switzerland amounted to 11 kilograms per person, which is the tastiest record ever!

Which is the largest chocolate manufacturer in Greece?

ION, a purely Greek company, with three production plants produces the largest product quantities in Greece. In addition, ION holds the biggest share – more than 33% - of the total chocolate products market in Greece.